WASH ‘N DRY, Gowanus

by Kevin Walsh

Here’s a classic plastic-letter storefront sign at a launderette at 4th Avenue and Bergen Street in Gowanus, just south of the classic Williamsburg Bank Tower, or One Hanson as it’s called these days, King of All Brooklyn Buildings.

I’ll be presenting a complete set of images of classic storefront signs like this on Monday, February 2nd at the Greater Astoria Historical Society, Quinn Building, 35-20 Broadway at 7PM.

Who knows what that sign on the 4th Avenue side used to say. But the whole sign wrapping around the corner reminds me of an old Redd Foxx album.

1/10/15

2 comments

GeorgeDunne January 10, 2015 - 10:12 pm

There was a drive-thru laundromat on SE corner of 3rd Ave, and If memory serves me correctly, Butler St. I believe it had the same style puffy lettering on a corrugated fiberglass panel. It remained until it was razed to make way for a hotel

During the 1970’s, most laundromt signage was paint on tin. It usually had a simple painting of 3 different sized and colored washing machines next to each other in a step design. The logos of either Wascomat or Norge (manufacturers of commercial coin-op washing machines and dryers) were displayed on the washing machines or was written underneath.

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Lucien January 11, 2015 - 9:01 pm

4th and St. Marks, SE corner.

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